Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics



Aug. 10, 1965 J. P. ERKES APPARATUS FOR WEAVING PILE FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1964 INVENTOR JOSEPH R ERKES 8V6 ATTORNEY Aug. 10, 1965 J. P. ERKES APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FILE FABRICS Filed Aug. 14, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO/F JOSEPH P. ERKES ATTORNEV Aug. 10, 1965 J. P. ERKES APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FILE FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 14, 1964 INVENTOR JOSEPH R ERKES ATTORNEY United States Patent 5,199,542 APEARATUS FUR WEAVHNG FILE FABRHCS Joseph P. Erkes, Rock Hill, SAC. Steel Heddle Manufacturin (30., 2190 W. Allegheny Ave, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,636 12 Claims. (Cl. 139-46) This application is a continuation-impart of my prior application filed Sept. 17, 1963, Serial No. 309,547, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to the weaving of pile fabrics and more particularly to apparatus and methods for the production of fabrics having the pile in relation to each pick as desired.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ longitudinal pile wires for the production of pile fabrics and further to employ Jacquard mechanism for the control of the pattern on the face of the fabric. The apparatus for this purpose has been cumbersome and was not especially suited to high output or high speed of production.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for the production of pile fabrics which is simple in construction, free from operating difliculties and with which :a high rate of production can be maintained.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved .apparatus of the character aforesaid with which a wide variety of pattern effects can be obtained.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for the control of a pile yarn with respect to a longitudinal pile wire for the formation of the pile loops.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for the control of longitudinal pile wires to facilitate the formation of pile loops thereon, and with the wire til-ted by control mechanism to determine the disposition of the pile warp on one side or the other side thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for making, if desired, a pile loop between each pick by lowering the pile warp with respect to the pile wire on one side of the pile wire, then making a pick, then raising the pile warp with respect to the pile wire on the same side of the pile wire, then crossing over and lowering the pile warp with respect to the pile wire on the other side of the pile wire preparatory to another pick.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for making pile loops in relation to picks with controlled raising and lowering of the pile warp and controlled tilting of a pile wire for the crossing over of the pile loop from one side to the other of the pile wire.

it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved pile wire and pile heddle cooperating therewith for disposing the pile warp with respect to the pile wire for obtaining desired pattern effects in the pile.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristics features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part .thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a loom illustrating a set of harness in accordance with the invention in one operating condition;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the loom in another operating condition;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the loom in still another operating position;

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FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, illustrating one operating condition;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating another operating condition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating still another operating condition;

'FIG. 7 is a perspective view, parts being omitted in the interest of clarity, showing the apparatus for controlling the tilting of the pile Wires or gages;

FIG. 8 is a view in elevation of a cam used in the apparatus of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8A is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing a different shape of cam for use in the apparatus of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevati-onal view enlarged, illustrating the relation of the ground warp, the pile warp, the pile wire or gage and the filling threads;

FIG. 9A is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the disposition of the pile warp for one type of fabric made in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 9B is a view similar to FIG. 9, showing the disposition of the pile warp for another type of fabric made in accordance with the invent-ion.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing-from the spirit of the invention.-

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 f the drawings, a fragmentary portion of a loom is shown which includes a warp beam 10 for supplying the warp threads 11 .and 12 for the ground fabric. A pile warp 15 is supplied from a creel or secondary beam (not shown). A harness set is provided, consisting, in its simplest form, of harness frames 16 and 17 carrying heddles 18 and 19 for controlling the warp threads 11 and 12 and providing at least .a plain weave backing or ground fabric.

A reed 20 of known type is provided driven by the lay (not shown) for beating up the filling threads 21 with respect to the warp threads 11, 12 and 15 in a well known manner. The foregoing structure is well known.

In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of fiat longitudinalpile Wires '24 are employed made of thin flat strips of metal, substantially rectangular in cross section, one for each pile warp 15, and each having an eye 25 at its rear end for mounting on a transversely extending horizontal mounting rod 26. The rod 26 can be supported in any desired manner, one suitable support being by horizontally spaced books 27 having shanks 28 in threaded engagement in a horizontally extending frame bar 29, which may be an angle iron and which forms part of or is carried by the frame of the loom. Lock nuts 30 may be employed for retaining the hooks 27 in adjusted position.

The pile wires 24 have strip portions 24a which are of a height equal to a multiplicity of the wire thicknesses which extend through the dent spaces in the reed 20 and strip portions 24b. The height of the pile wire 24, at the portion 24b, serves as a gage and determines the height of the pile loop in a well known manner.

Each of the pile wires 24, intermediate its ends and forwardly of its eye 25 has secured thereto as a part thereof a cross or positioning bar 31 extending above and below the strip portion 24a for controlling the tilting thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, lower stationary comb 32 is provided having horizontally extending spaced teeth 33 for the reception in the spaces therebetween of lower ends of cross bars 31 with the Wire 24 held up at one end on the rod 26. The comb 32 has spaced slide block 34 fixedly carried thereon for the reception of a horizontally oscillatable comb 35. The comb 35 has horizontally extending spaced teeth 36 for the reception in the spaces therebetween of upper ends of cross bars 31.

The comb 35 has one end of a return spring. 37 connected thereto, the other end of the spring 37 being connected to the loom frame (not shown).

The comb 35 at its other end has an actuatingcable 39 secured thereto. The cable 39 extends over guide pulleys 49 to a clamp 41 adjulstably positioned on a cam follower arm 42 and preferably held in position by a set screw 43.

The cam follower arm 42 is pivotally mounted at one end on a fixedly mounted pivot pin 44 and has a follower roller 45 engaging a pile wire tilt control cam 46.

The cam 46 has the surface thereof shaped in accordance with the actuation desired.

One form of cam 46 is shown in FIG. 8 for alternate tilting of the pile wires 24 and providing a pile loop for every pick. The cam 46 for this purpose has an intermediate or neutral portion 46A for upward or untilted dis-v position of the pile wire 24, followed by a high portion 46B for tilting in one direction, an intermedate portion 46C, a low portion 46D for tilting in the other direction, an intermediate portion 46E, a high portion 46F, an intermediate portion 466, and a low portion 46H. The high portions 46B and 46? and the low portions 46D and 46H are preferably of the same duration and with their approach portions and dwells each of about one-half the length of the intermediate portions 46A, 46C, 46E and 466.

Another form of cam is shown at 146 in FIG. 8A for providing weave variations with pile loops for each two picks, with two consecutive left and two consecutive right tiltings of the pile wires 24 with interposed freedom from tilting. The cam 146 has an intermediate portion 146A, followed by a high portion 146B, an intermediate portion 146C, a high portion 146D, an intermediate portion 146E, a low portion 146R an intermediate portion 146G and a low portion 1461-1, with relative lengths or durations similar to those of the cam 46.

The cams 46 or 146 are mounted on a cam shaft 50 having a gear 51 thereon engaged with a driving gear 52 on a bottom shaft 53 driven from the main shaft of the loom. As shown, the gears 51 and 52 are selected so that the shaft 50 is driven at half the speed of the shaft 53.

The pile warp 15 is controlled in its relation to the pile wire tilting and the shuttle movement by a pile heddle 58. The pile heddle 58 has an upper eye 59 for connection by an actuating cord 60 to a Jacquard mechanism 61 which can have cards of well known type and actuation in a well known manner providing a program to give the desired pattern effect of the pile warp 15.

The pile heddle 58 preferably consists of a pair of parallel flat side strips 62, having a Weight or lingo 63 connected to their lower ends to urge the heddle 58 downwardly unless it is raised by. its cord 60. The pile heddle 58 between the side strips 62 has a needle strip 64 extending downwardly from the connecting eye 59 with a needle eye 65 at its lower end through which the pile warp 15. extends.

It will be noted that the pile wire 24 extends through the heddle 58 between the side strips 62 so that upon tilting thereof by the cross bar 31 the needle eye 65 carries the pile warp 15 down one side or down the other of the pile wire 24 to form the pile loop over the pile wire 24 as desired.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

With the loom in operation the harness frames 16 and 17 are alternately raised and lowered in the usual manner to form successive sheds for the insertion of the respective picks of the filling threads 21 to form the ground fabric.

The cam 46 is effective for actuating the comb 35 by the cable 39, and against the force of the spring 37. The movement of the comb 35 with respect to the stationary comb 32 is effective for tilting the controlbar 31 in a direction as determined by the high portions and low portions of the cam 46.

The effect of the tilting is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The pile wire 24 is shown as tilted to the left in FIG. 5, to the right in FIG. 6, and with the pile heddle 58 lowered in FIG. 4 to place the pile warp on the selected side.

In timed relation to the positioning of the pile wire 24, and of the harness frames 16 and 17, the Jacquard mechanism 61 controls the cord 69 to determine the position of the pile heddle 58 and of the pile warp .15 carried in the needle eye 65.

The formation of a pile loop for one cycle will now be pointed out.

While the comb 35 is being moved to the left (FIG. 7) to tilt the pile wire 24 and the needle eye 65 with the pile heddle 58 is being raised above the pile Wire 24 by the Jacquard cord 60, the reed is moving to its front center position at the tell of the cloth. When the reed 20 has reached this position and the top of the pile wire 24 has had the maximum tilt to the left (FIG. 5) imparted to it the needle eye 65 is at its maximum elevation above the pile wire 24.

The continuing movement of the loom causes the reed 26 to move toward back center. Simultaneously the pile heddle control mechanism lowers the pile heddle 58 with the needle eye 65 on the right side of the pile wire to its lowest position. The cam 46 moves the high portion 46B out of engagement with the cam follower roller 45 and brings the intermediate portion 46C into engagement therewith. This permits the comb to return to its intermediate position with the pile wire 24 untilted.

Upon arrival of the reed 20 at back center, the shuttle carrying the filling yarn is thrown through the shed formed by the harness frames 16 and 17 and over the pile warp 15.

As the reed 20 moves forward for heat up, movement of the cam 46 brings the low portion 46D against the cam follower to permit movement of the comb 35 to th right, thereby tilting the top of the pile wire to the right.

The reed 20 having reached its front center position the pile heddle control mechanism lowers the pile heddle 58 with the needle on the left side of the pile wire 24 to its lowest position, thereby crossing from the right to the left side of the pile wire 24.

'Further movement of the cam 46 moves the. intermediate portion 46E into engagement with the. cam follower roller 45 so that the comb 35 reutrns the bar 31 to upright and untilted position of the pile wire 24.

At this time, the reed 20 having reached its back center position, the shuttle is again thrown through the shed, with the harness frames 16 and 17 oppositely disposed for their former position and with the needle eye 65 down but on the opposite side of the pile wire 24. The insertion of a filling pick over the pile warp 15 provides a pile loop.

A repetition of this action permits a pile loop to be formed for every pick.

If desired, the Jacquard mechanism can be actuated to maintain the pile heddle 58 raised for any odd number of picks to give a pile float as in FIG. 9A. Also, if desired, and using the cam 146, the Jacquard mechanism can control the pile heddle 58 to position the pile warp below th face of the ground fabric.

If the cam 146 is employed a different type of fabric can be made as shown in FIG. 9B, and the operation with the cam 146 will now be described.

While the comb 35 is being moved to the left to tilt the pile wire 24, and the needle eye 65 with the pile heddle 58 is being raised above the pile wire 24 by the Jacquard cord 60, the reed 20 is moving to its front center position at the fell of the cloth. When the reed 24) has reached this position and the top of the pile wire 24 has had the maximum tilt to the left imparted to it the needle eye 65 is at its maximum elevation above the pile wire 24. i

The pile control mechanism has been programmed tohold the needle eye 65 elevated through this pick. The continuing movement of the loom causes the reed 20 to move toward back center and the cam 146 moves to bring the intermediate portion 146C into engagement with the cam follower roller- 45. This permits the comb 35 to return to its intermediate position with the pile wire 24 untilted.

Upon arrival of the reed 20 at back center, the shuttle carrying the filling yarn is thrown through the shed formed by the harness frames and beneath the pile warp 15.

As the reed 20 moves forward for heat 'up, movement of the cam 146 brings the high portion 146D into engagement with the cam follower 45 again moving the comb 35 to the left and tilting the top of the pile wire 24 to the left.

The reed 20 having reached its front center position the pile heddle control mechanism which has been appropriately programmed lowers the pile heddle 58 with the needle eye 65 on the right side of the pile wire 24 to its lowest position, thereby crossing over from the left to the right side of the pile wire 24. Simultaneously, the cam 146 has moved to bring the intermediate portion 146E to the cam follower 45 to permit the comb 35 to return to its intermediate position and thereby returning the pile wire 24 to its vertical and untilted position.

At this time the reed 20, having reached its back center position, the shuttle is again thrown through the shed with the harness frames 16 and 17 oppositely disposed from their former positions. The insertion of a filling pick over the pile warp which has crossed the pile Wire 24 forms a pile loop with the pile warp 15 interwoven with the ground warp threads 11 and 12.

As the reed now moves toward front center, further movement of the cam 146 brings the low portion 146F to the cam follower roller 45 permitting the comb 35 to be moved to the right by the spring 37. The movement of the comb 35 to the right through the bar 31 moves the top of the pile wire 24 to the right.

Simultaneously with the forward movement of the reed 20 the pile heddle 58 is raised toward its highest position. With the arrival of the reed 20 at front center and attendant beat up the pile needle eye 65 has reached its highest position. The pile control mechanism is programmed to hold the needle eye 65 in a high position above the pile wire 24.

As the reed 20 starts to move toward back center, the cam 146 is moving to bring the intermediate portion 146G into engagement with the cam follower 45, returning the comb 35 to its neutral position and the pile wire 24 to its neutral or upright position.

Upon the arrival of the reed 20 at back center the shuttle is again thrown through the shed formed by the harness frames 16 and 17 in their first position, to insert a filling pick.

As the reed 20 moves toward front center, the cam 146 advances .to bring the low portion 146H into engagement with the cam follower 45 to tilt the pile wire 24 to the right. As the reed 20 is beating up the filling the pile control mechanism controls the pile heddle 58 and causes it to be lowered on the left side of the pile wire 24.

As the reed 20 now moves toward back center the cam 146 advances to bring the intermediate portion 146A to engage the cam follower roller 45 and return the comb 35 and the pile wire bar 31 to their neutral posit-ions.

With the arrival of the reed 20 at back center and the pile needle eye 65 having reached its lowest position and on the left side of the pile wire 24, the shuttle is again thrown through the shed formed by the harness frames 16 and 17 in their second position and over the pile warp 15 thereby forming a pile loop from right to left over the pile wire.

As the reed 20 continues to move toward front center, further advance of the cam 146 brings the high portion 146B into engagement with the follower roller 45, causing the comb 35 and top of bar 31 to be moved to the left while the need-1e eye 65 is being raised, thereby completing the weaving sequence.

Other programming of the movement of the pile heddle 58 may be employed to obtain different pile elfects.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for Weaving pile fabrics having ground warp threads and a pile warp comprising members for positioning the ground warp threads to provide successive sheds for the successive insertion of filling threads,

a filling thread beat-up member, a longitudinal pile.

wire having a mounting end and an opopsite pile gage end extending beyond said beat up member, a fixed mounting for said mounting end of said pile wire, a member for tilting said pile wire intermediate its ends to different positions in timed relation, and a pile control member for controlling said pile warp in relation to the successive sheds, said control member including a pile heddle having opposite separable side strips between which said pile wire is disposed, a pile warp engaging portion having a needle for positioning said pile warp on one side or the other of said pile wire as determined by the tilting thereof and the positioning of said needle, and a member for controlling the raising and lowering of said control member.

'2. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 1 in which said needle is carried by a needle strip between said side strips and has an eye through which said pile warp extends.

3. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 1 in which said last member is connected to a Jacquard mechanism.

4. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 1 in which said pile wire has a vertically extending bar, said member for tilting said pile wire includes upper and lower relatively movable combs with teeth with which said bar is in engagement.

-5. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 1, in which said pile wire has a vertically extending bar, said member for tilting said pile wire comprises spaced horizontal combs above and below said pile wire with which said bar is in engagement, one of said combs being fixed and the other being horizontally movable for tilting said bar.

6. In apparatus for weaving pile fabrics having ground warp threads and a pile warp, the structure for controlling the pile warp which comprises a longitudinal pile wire of an elongated strip of metal vertically disposed having a mounting end and an opposite pile gage end, a fixed mounting for said mounting end of said pile wire, said pile Wire, in spaced relation to said mounting end, having a vertically extending bar, members engaging said bar for tilt-ing said pile wire intermediate its ends, a pile heddle for controlling said pile warp for shedding and for disposition on opposie sides of said pile wire, said pile heddle having opposite separable side strips between which said pile Wire extends and a pile warp engaging portion between said side strips mova'ble with respect to said pile wire as determined by the tilting thereof, and a member for positioning said pile heddle for shedding.

7. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 6 in which said pile warp engaging portion includes a central needle strip between said side strips and has an eye through which said pile warp extends.

8. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 6 in which said last member is connected to a Jacquard mechanism.

9. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 6 in which said members engaging said pile wire include a horizontally movable comb member and actuating devices for said comb member.

10. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as defined in claim 6, in which said members for engaging said pile wire comprise spaced horizontal combs above and below said pile wire and said combs are relatively movable horizontally.

11. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics comprising an elongated pile Wireof a strip of metal having a height equal to a plurality of its thickness, said pile wire having a mounting end with an opening therein'and an oppositely disposed pile gage end, said pile wire intermediate its ends having a tilting bar secured thereto and extending therefrom.

12. Apparatus for weaving pile fabrics as'defined in claim 11 in which said bar extends from opposite edges thereof and normal to the longitudinal axis of the pile wire.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 672,393 4/01 Buekler 139--46 703,580 7/02 Hartley 139-47 768,224 8/04 Hartley 139-46 778,363 12/04 Hartley 139-47 791,678 6/05 Dustin 139-46 2,509,776 5/50 Lockley 139-47 DONALD W, PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR WEAVING PILE FABRICS HAVING GROUND WARP THREADS AND A PILE WARP COMPRISING MEMBERS FOR POSITIONING THE GROUND WARP THREADS TO PROVIDE SUCCESSIVE SHEDS FOR THE SUCCESSIVE INSERTION OF FILLING THREADS, A FILLING THREAD BEAT-UP MEMBER, A LONGITUDINAL PILE WIRE HAVING A MOUNTING END AND AN OPPOSITE PILE GAGE END EXTENDING BEYOND SAID BEAT UP MEMBER, A FIXED MOUNTING FOR SAID MOUNTING END OF SAID PILE WIRE, A MEMBER FOR TILTING SAID PILE WIRE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN TIMED RELATION, AND A PILE CONTROL MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING SAID PILE WARP IN RELATION TO THE SUCCESSIVE SHEDS, SAID CONTROL MEMBER INCLUDING A PILE HEDDLE HAVING OPPOSITE SEPARABLE SIDE STRIPS BETWEEN WHICH SAID PILE WIRE IS DISPOSED, A PILE WARP ON ONE SIDE OR THE NEEDLE FOR POSITIONING SAID PILE WARP ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER OF SAID PILE WIRE AS DETERMINED BY THE TILTING THEREOF AND THE POSITIONING OF SAID NEEDLE, AND A MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER. 